Blog
The Smart AI Adopter: Value, Precision & Craftsmanship
There’s something about Software Crafters Cambridge - and it’s not just that I can never remember the order the words go in the name. They’re a quiet group of software professionals, but the talks and workshops are always interesting, and it quickly becomes apparent that there’s a lot of knowledge a...
Introducing C++: Above All Have Fun And Stay Curious
I hadn’t written a line of C++ since 2011 before I read this book, and that was just for fun. I hadn’t written a line professionally since 2006. Introducing C++ made me want to write some C++ again, so I did.Early in the book, Frances tells us that prior knowledge of another programming language is ...
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Forest Live with Garbage and Skunk Anansie
We saw Skunk Anansie just over a year ago and I haven’t seen Garbage since the Version 2.0 tour in 90s - the best time to have seen them in my opinion. When the opportunity to see them both together came up, of course Charlotte wanted to go - despite it being half way across the country. Soon after ...
I Asked an AI to Build Me a Bank Data Platform
I Asked an AI to Build Me a Bank Data Platform. Here's What Happened. Claude wrote this post for me and we reviewed and revised it together. I know this won't be popular with at least a few of my regular readers, but it felt like the right thing to do given the project it's describing. Lambdas don't...
A C++ "Hello, World!" on the public internet
I have been reviewing Fran Buontempo's new C++ book, and somewhere between the chapters on modern idioms and the bits where she nudges you to actually do something with the language, I caught the itch. I have not written any C++ in more than twenty years, and the book reminded me how much the langua...
It Started with People: PRs in the World of AI
Sometimes, even when you’re close to your team, patterns or underlying issues emerge over time. Some of these are insights you may wish you had recognised earlier. The important thing is to talk to your team and work on a solution together. Sometimes, together you resolve one challenge and enhance s...
Getting Hands-On with Apache Iceberg: From Docker to AWS in a Day
On Tuesday this week, I was back at AWS on Holborn Viaduct learning about Apache Iceberg with a colleague. Iceberg is a table format standard for managing large-scale datasets and their metadata. The AWS-managed approach is to store the data in S3, meaning you only pay for storage and bandwidth. Oth...
Should HTTP Status Codes Reflect Business Outcomes?
I’ve delivered my Beyond the Code: Services Which Stand the Test of Time presentation a handful of times this year. Toward the end of the first half, I take a stronger stance and talk more directly about the design of RESTful interfaces.Most of the material in the presentation is framed as guideline...
Foundation an Earth
I really enjoyed Foundation’s Edge and I had great expectations of Foundation and Earth. I was disappointed. About 90% of the story just plods on. Then the last 10% is really good, but goes super fast. I think part of the problem is that Asimov was told to write longer books and this has resulted in...
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The Gathering: Great Band. Great Set. Great Venue. Great Sound!
Great Band. Great Set. Great Venue. Great Sound! Need I say more? I will…We loved the Shepherd's Bush Empire the first time we went in December 2023 for Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, so we were really excited to be going back. It didn’t disappoint. We had some good seats in the balcony and the s...